It would be an understatement to say that travel has opened us up to new possibilities, occurrences and events. When we hear of something different we change course, when told about a secluded beach or a ghost town or a temple at the bottom of a crater, we jump at the chance to explore and…

Any mention of Agra conjures up the famous Taj Mahal, and perhaps as an after thought, the impressive Red Fort where the Emperor who commissioned the Taj was imprisoned. The usual tourist jaunt and tour bus to Agra includes a visit to the Taj, the Red Fort and sometimes perhaps Fatehpur Sikri with the imposing…

Agra is also a city where you can see the Taj from many angles, reinforcing one man’s deep love and devotion to his favourite wife of 3 decades. Whether you sit in the famous Mehtab garden across the river, or take a boat ride and view the mausoleum in the soft orange light of the setting sun, the monument of love glows, commanding your complete attention.

Something about his quiet demeanour stood out, his smile was humble, warm and inviting. His small home, dimly lit by a single naked bulb, was cluttered with rolls of canvas, painting materials and shelves full of curios.

Travel around India, to the extent that we are attempting to do, is incomplete without an opportunity to interact with the myriad indigenous populations of the country, be it in Ladakh, the Andaman Islands, all over the North East or for that matter in the interiors of any of India’s 28 states. Recently on the eastern leg of…

Gujarat, a state rooted in Hindu and Jain mythology and religious history, is home to some of the early forms of Islamic Architecture in India. Like other regions in India, it completely transcends the modern concept of a ‘state,’ reinforcing, once again, that this country is an amazing confluence of cultures and religions. Several buildings…